How to Do Pullbacks Into a Toe Stand in Tap Dancing

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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The pullback into a toe stand is an advanced move in which the dancer is required to balance on the very tip of her toes. When first attempting the pullback into a toe stand, hold onto the dance barre or the back of a sturdy chair. This will help you with your balance.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Tap shoes

Step 1

Facing front, distribute your weight evenly on both feet. Bend your legs and execute a syncopated pullback, which means that one foot (the right) goes first or leads. Pull back on your right foot (this is a back brush or spank), and immediately follow it with a pullback on your left foot. To execute pullbacks, place your feet in a parallel position, bend your knees in a plie position and lift the balls of your feet (the toes) slightly upward so you can achieve the back brush.
Step 2

Land on the tip of your right toe, then land on the tip of your left toe. This is very challenging, and requires lots of practice and exceptionally good balance. Hold this position for a beat.
Step 3

Step down on your right foot.
Step 4

Step down on your left foot.
Step 5

Repeat the step: Pull back right, pull back left, land on right toe, land on left toe, hold, step on right foot, then step on left foot.

Tips & Warnings

Follow the first link in Resources and watch as dancer Rod Howell demonstrates the double pullback with toe tip (as he refers to it). He also demonstrates a Joe Toe Pullback, which is essentially the same as a pull-back into a toe stand--except that Howell does step heels as he lands, whereas in the pullback toe stand, the dancer does two steps. The Joe Toe Pullback consists of two more taps/sounds (two heel drops) that the pullback into a toe stand does not contain. In the second video, dancer Rene Preciado demonstrates how to do a toe stand. In the last video, dancer Emily Larew shows you how to do syncopated pullbacks, which you do in the pullback toe stand; however, she is stepping down on the balls of her feet on the landing, whereas you will be stepping onto your toes and balancing.

Resources